Lace up your hiking boots or pump up your bike tyres ― the long-anticipated Waranga Rail Trail project in Rushworth is now a reality.
Campaspe Shire Council recently announced the completion of the project, welcoming all to try out the new 11km trail when it opens on Tuesday, April 1.
Starting on High St in Rushworth, the trail features a 2.5m wide asphalt pathway for the first kilometre, ideal for prams and wheelchairs, before transitioning to a 10km gravel path, perfect for mountain bikes and hikers, ending at Bendigo-Murchison Rd.
The project has been funded by the federal government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program and the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grant program.
It now connects to an eastern section of track developed by Greater Shepparton City Council in 2015.
The connection completes a 19km trail, following the alignment of the decommissioned railway line from Rushworth to Murchison.
The $3.4 million project has been in the works since 2022 and has been on many councillors minds for the past 15 years.
An official opening ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 17, coinciding with the monthly Rushworth market.